FTC - Consumer Fraud Survey

The Federal Trade Commission conducted a survey of Internet consumer fraud complaints.  Although the survey is from 2007, the frauds and scams are still prevalent.  Here are some of the results:

The top 10 frauds listed in the report include:

• Fraudulent Weight-Loss Products (4.8 million victims)
• Foreign Lottery Scams (3.2 million victims)
• Unauthorized Billing - Buyers Clubs (3.2 million victims)
• Prize Promotions (2.7 million victims)
• Work-at-Home Programs (2.4 million victims)
• Credit Card Insurance (2.1 million victims)
• Unauthorized Billing - Internet Services (1.8 million victims)
• Advance-Fee Loans (1.7 million victims)
• Credit Repair Scams (1.2 million victims)
• Business Opportunities (.8 million victims)

A common theme of these scams is requiring an up-front payment.